[Sca-cooks] OT: OOP recipe help

[Nick Sasso]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Kirsten Houseknecht" <kirsten at fabricdragon.com>
> i am looking for recipes for Hopping John........
> (black eyed peas dish served on New Years for good luck)
>
> AND if anyone can document its origens i would be very pleased.....
are
> black eyed peas even period???
> Kirsten

Bear responded some time back to one of my recipes that 'fasoli' or
'Kidney Bean' in Neapolitan Cuisine likely referred to something in the
genus Vigna, which he described as including cowpea, black-eyed pea,
yard-long bean, etc.).  That would be around mid 1400's to 1485, so that
would suggest that if Bear is correct, then you have reason to believe
they were a 'period' food stuff.

As to Hoppin' John, I cannot say.  My, now updated, recipe for Kidney
Beans (#41) from Cuoco Napoletano (Neapolitan Cuisine) is as follows:


Fasoli

#41 Coce li fasoli in aqua pura ho in bono brood; he quando serano
cotti, tole cipolle tagliate suttile he frigele in patella [f 15r] cum
bono olio he mette de sopra queste dipole fritte cum pipero he canella
he zaffrano; poi lassali reposare sopra la cinere calda una pezo; er poi
fa le menestre cum specie bone de sopra

Kidney Beans (#41)  Cook the kidney beans in pure water or in good
broth; when they are cooked, get finely sliced onions and fry tem in a
pan with good oil and put these fried onions on top [of the beans] along
with pepper, cinnamon and saffron; then let sit a while on the hot
coals; dish it up with good spices on top.

NICCOLO'S RECIPE
Serves 6 to 8

1 pound Black Eyed Peas   (I originally used red kidney beans)
1 medium onion
½ tsp black pepper
½ to 1 tsp cinnamon
8 strands saffron steeped in warm broth

Cook peas in water or broth until just tender.  Fry sliced onions in a
pan with oil until tender, and put onions/oil on top of the beans along
with black pepper, cinnamon and saffron.  Bake at 350F for about 30
minutes.

ORIGINAL TEXT & TRANSLATION
Scully, T. (2000).  Cuoco Napoletano - The Neapolitan
Recipe Collection: a critical edition and English
translation.  Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.)


pacem et bonum,
niccolo difrancesco